Ali Orr: Sussex opener moves to Hampshire on 'multi-year' deal

Ali Orr made 198 in the County Championship against Glamorgan just four weeks after a double-century in the One-Day Cup

Sussex batter Ali Orr has left the club to join Hampshire on a long-term deal.

The 22-year-old opener had been with Sussex since the age of 10 and made 51 appearances across all formats.

The left-hander scored 2,810 first-class runs at an average of 39 for Sussex, including six centuries, and amassed 670 runs in 14 matches at an average of 47.85 in one-day cricket.

"I hope I can contribute to success moving forward and can't wait to get started," Orr told Hampshire's website.

Hampshire have not disclosed the length of Orr's contract with the club but termed it a "multi-year deal".

"Ali has had an encouraging start to his career, he's got a strong desire to win and I think he is an excellent fit for our squad," said Giles White, Hampshire's director of cricket.

"During our discussions he impressed me with his determination to challenge himself and improve. He's stepped outside of his comfort zone to join us and we are all looking forward to welcoming him to Hampshire."

Sussex agreed to terminate Orr's contract in order for him to move along the coast, with Hampshire set to pay an undisclosed compensation fee.

"Orr had one year remaining on his contract and was seeking to renegotiate the terms with the club - however, with this not possible, he signalled his intentions to move elsewhere," a Sussex statement said.

"Everyone at Sussex Cricket thanks Ali and wishes him the best in his future career."

Orr signed his maiden pro contract in 2021 but came to the fore in 2022 with a knock of 206 against Somerset in the One-Day Cup in August followed a few weeks later by 198 against Glamorgan in the County Championship.

'Surprised and disappointed' - analysis

BBC Radio Sussex commentator Adrian Harms

Sussex supporters will be surprised and disappointed at the departure of Ali Orr, not least as he's progressed through the youth ranks at Sussex and seemed to fit the club's project of promoting young homegrown players.

However, there had been some suggestion towards the end of last season of mounting tension between Orr and the coaching staff, and that may have accelerated his move along the South Coast.

A hard-hitting opener who plays all formats of the game, Orr's breakthrough season came in 2022, after which there was some speculation that he might have made the England Lions squad that winter.

Last season was frustrating, as he was side-lined for three months by a knee injury sustained in May while fielding in a T20 game at the Oval, and then by a thumb injury which happened in a club game while making his comeback.

Orr is the latest in a line of homegrown players to leave the club in recent years, adding his name to a list that includes Luke Wells, Phil Salt, Ben Brown, George Garton, and Delray Rawlins.

Despite these departures, Sussex did show signings of improvement in the County Championship last season, and supporters will be hoping that a switch to recruiting more experienced players alongside the remaining younger ones, will continue that improvement next season.